Tagged: end of the world

Dec. 21, supposedly the end of the world, is approaching us. If you only had 10 days left, how would you spend them? Even if the world doesn’t end, it’s good to live in the now and enjoy what you have while you can. Here are 21 things you might consider doing before Dec. 21 rolls around.

Watch your favorite funny movie. Heck, if the world’s going to end we might as well be in a good mood when it does.

Show your dog, cat, brother, sister, parents, friends how much you appreciate them, with cookies, a treat or a hug.

Do something daring. Go to the Prudential Skywalk Observatory, go to a new place on your own, make the first move in a conversation, where an extra bold statement piece, take a day and go snowboarding—whatever gives you a thrill, go ahead and do it!

Do a random act of kindness.

Get some friends together and plan how you will survive the zombie apocalypse, if that’s how the world’s going to end. Bonus points if you make a funny YouTube video.

Forgive someone who you’ve been holding something against for a long time, even if it is yourself.

Get a massage. Might as well relax before the world ends.

See how hard you can push yourself, even at the gym or during your daily workout. You’ll probably be happily surprised at what you’re capable of.

See if you can give up one of your vices or addiction, even if only for three days, whether it be Facebook, a daily coffee run or French fries. Whatever it is, even if you just scale down, see if you might actually feel better without it.

Explore a part of the city you’ve never been to. People focus on the big attractions so much like going to Faneuil Hall or Newbury Street, that they often overlook some of the best things that Boston has to offer. Find a cool vintage bookstore, check out a museum for once or visit another campus to see what’s going on there.

Think of all the people you would like to give a thank you note. Write them one.

Spend a few hours acting like a kid again. With your friends, grab some play dough, bouncy balls or coloring books. Break out Disney Musicals. You’ll have a blast.

Go camping in your room! Build a fort out of blankets and pillows and such, chill in it with your friends or significant other and watch a good movie or some funny Youtube videos.

Go to a party. Heck, go to as many as you can. Party like it’s the end of the world!

Put your all into something and do really well, whether it is school or a hobby. Be proud of yourself.

Call a childhood friend and catch up.

Go on a trip, even if it’s just a day trip. Go somewhere you’ve never been before. Explore shop, dine and check out the history.

Too often we make choices based only on what other people think. Vow to start asking yourself to do what you want to do. The key to failure is trying to please everyone else. (Thanks, Cosby.)

Try a food you’ve never tried before—something really exotic. It turns out you might like it!

Clean out your closet, both literally and figuratively. If the world were to end, you wouldn’t want to leave it with all sorts of baggage. Get rid of things that no longer fit your personality and your life style. Feel refreshed!

Though it is highly unlikely that the world will end, these things are all great to add to your to-do list, anyway. Most of us are at that point in the semester where we’re just too spent to even care anymore, bored with life or just want to go home. Why not perk up your life and feel refreshed for the new year?

According to some interpretations of the Mayan calendar, the end of the world will be Dec. 21.

I doubt anyone finds this statement majorly shocking or troublesome. People have been anticipating some sort of cataclysmic event for years. William Miller, a Baptist preacher, thought that, according to the Bible, the end of the world would occur by March 21, 1844. Fifty thousand New Englanders believed him. Obviously, it didn’t happen.

And even Hollywood threw its interpretation into the mix and gave us the movie “2012.”

So the idea that the world will come to an end is not a new one and despite certain predictions, it hasn’t happened yet. But does that mean we shouldn’t worry?

Well, in terms of the Mayan calendar interpretation, I don’t think it should be something to lose sleep over. Studying for finals will do that to you, anyway.

However, the people who are losing sleep over a possible end to the world are convinced that the end of the Mayan “long count” calendar, which lands on Dec. 21, 2012, spells disaster for the world as we know it. The last time the “long count” calendar ended was in the Gregorian year 1000. And yet, here we are.

But it’s not to imply that a cataclysmic event cannot occur. It happened to the dinosaurs 65 million years ago when an asteroid hit the earth and vaporized sulfur-rich rocks which resulted in acid rain and plummeting global temperatures.

There was also that volcanic eruption in Siberia 250 million years ago that caused the extinction of approximately 80 percent of all species.

Today, according to NASA, Earth is surrounded by nearly 10,000 asteroids that are within striking distance. Also, the levels of carbon dioxide are higher than they have ever been in 800,000 years. And from the extreme weather patterns the world has experienced over the years (the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, Typhoon Bopha, Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, to name a few), we should know by now that Mother Nature isn’t fooling around. Global warming is no joke. Thank you, humans.

So maybe the more important question is not just if the world will end, but how and when?